Sylvite
Image: <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:LBM1948" title="User:LBM1948">LBM1948</a> (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Mineral NameSylvite
Chemical FormulaKCl
Mohs Hardness2
Crystal Systemcubic
Lustervitreous
Streak Colorwhite
Cleavageperfect cubic (3 directions at 90°)
Fractureconchoidal
Specific Gravity1.99
Colorsreddish-brown, pink, orange, white, colorless
Transparencytransparent
Type LocalityMuntanya de Sal, Cardona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Mineral GroupHalides
Usesfertilizer production, chemical industry, scientific research
Associated Mineralshalite, carnallite, gypsum, anhydrite
Raritycommon
Description
The image displays a reddish-brown to pinkish-orange granular rock mass, likely sylvite, with an uneven, textured surface and some lighter, possibly crystalline, areas.
Geological Context
Sylvite forms in evaporite deposits, typically in arid environments where ancient seas or lakes evaporate, concentrating dissolved salts. It often precipitates in the later stages of evaporation, after halite.
